We don’t select a theme for any issue of this magazine, choosing material from a wide range that broadly concerns man in his natural, social and cultural environment. Each issue starts with a list of possible stories, but there are many changes along the way. The content is only final when the last page has been made up.

This issue, however, seems to have chosen a theme for itself: music, dancing and trees. It started with olive festivals in Prince Albert and the Riebeek Valley, and we met the artist who had painted "Dancing with Olives". We heard olive growers speak passionately about the inner life of the trees. Following in Molly D’Arcy Thompson’s steps, we went up Piquetberg Mountain and saw old oaks and the lovely persimmon trees pictured below. In Hermanus, aloes were growing outside their usual habitat, and in the middle of the dry Karoo we found a town proud of its old pear trees. At home we were watching a pair of Spotted Eagle Owls to see if they will nest in the basket in our willow. In the end the Dixieland band went on our cover and bagpipes on the last page, with in between an octogenarian ballerina who dances through life. A happy issue indeed!

Contents

5. Grassroots project in Darling

The people of Darling come together at Evita se Perron to teach others new skills

6. The growing taste for olives

Text & photographs by Maré Mouton

More South Africans are consuming olives and the local industry is growing vigorously – and winning prizes

12. She dances through life

By Annalize Mouton

Traudel Groenewoud (now 80) never made it onto the big stages as a dancer, but she dances every day